Later in the day Izumi had summoned Iku to the house to speak with her. Rin sat at the table with them as they spoke.
"I need to know how long again until I am ready to breed. Now, I know you said before that it would be a few years time but how long is a few years?" Izumi asked the healer.
"It could be anywhere from ten to over fifty my lady." Iku said always formal with all of them.
"Fifty." A jolt chilled her to her very core as an uneasiness came over her.
"For you it may be the latter." Iku said. "Since you came into your breeding years later on."
"Kohaku may not have that long to breed me. Even so, humans they get old and become feeble. Even if he were still alive he may not be able to." Izumi thought out.
"It could be sooner. There is no way to tell Lady Izumi until you begin to show and to feel the effects of your heat coming on."
"Is there a way to bring it on by herbal means or something she can do to induce her heat, Iku?" Rin asked.
"Yes however I do not recommend it. From what I have heard it is extremely unpleasant and doesn't always work, in fact it may have the opposite effect causing you to become barren." Iku hesitated as she spoke.
"What is it?"
"It is found in nature. The biyaku bark from an immature tree. The tree is rare and hard to come by." Iku explained. "It only grows in the northern mountains."
"Maybe you should wait a few years Izu and see if your heat comes on naturally. I don't want you to risk the adverse effects of this unnecessarily." Rin stated.
"Still, it is good to know. Thank you Iku." Izumi said. With a slight bow Iku left them taking Hotaru and Hisashi with her.
"Kohaku wouldn't want you to take something like that if it caused you harm." Rin said after she had left. "Maybe we could try the other way, with how you came to have Hisashi only with Kohakus seed this time."
"You enjoyed impregnating me, didn't you?" Izumi teased. Rin laughed.
"Oh yes Izu. All you have to do is ask and I will more than happily make sure you are bred by none other than me."
"If only it were that easy." Izumi closed her eyes. "It won't work if I am not fertile and when I am not in heat then it would do no good. It would not produce a pup."
"I understand. I do." Rin said. "Perhaps if we can find out more about the byaku bark then you can decide."
"How do you propose we do that?" Izumi questioned.
"Jinenji may know." Rin said snapping her fingers as the idea came to her. "Jinenji is a friend of mine. He's a half-breed, like Inuyasha. He is an herbalist and a very skilled healer. He is one of my mentors. We can write to him, send Jaken to his farm, and see what he says."
"Will he know of something though for a demon?"
"Yes. He helped me once when Jaken was poisoned. He told me where to get the berries to cure him." She stood. "If anyone knows of it then it would be Jinenji."
"Alright. I suppose it is worth a try." Izumi sat back as Rin placed herself at the drawing table preparing to write her letter.
Fifty years. Izumi shook her head of the thought. Looking to Rin as she concentrated on her writing she thought on. What would she do if she were unable to give Kohaku a child of his own?
A part of her had wished that before she had had Hisashi that it was in fact Kohakus child she was carrying but knew soon enough that it was a full blooded demon offspring.
What if she had ruined her one chance to have her mates progeny? Shaking her head again as Rin finished her short letter she held it up.
"There. All finished. Now we just have to wait for it to dry and we can summon Jaken to deliver it." Rin said placing it back down. "Izu, in the meantime lets check to see how Emis eggs are faring?"
Giving a nod she stood as Rin did. Eyeing the letter she didn't think anyone would see it and reading it over quickly she doubted that either Sesshomaru or Kohaku would question it to thoroughly.
It was just Rin asking a question about a treatment, as she had put it.
Bidding a greeting to Nen as he stood post at their front door they went around the back of the estate to where everyone else lived.
Riku held both their children in his arms smiling at them happily. Iku stood beside him with her arms crossed and a slight downturn of her lips.
"But look mate at how well behaved these pups are. The environment is good here for little ones, not as stressful as where we were in the east when we had ours." He said.
"For the last time Riku, you are not pupping me." She retorted. "Our pups are grown and gone and I for one am enjoying the peace that brings."
"Iku…"
"Sure it is easy enough for you, quite enjoyable an experience in fact. This one is whom has to carry, birth, and nurse as well as mind them when you are off at war or have to be gone for long stretches."
Turning her head away from him slightly she saw Rin and Izumi walking past them. "I am sorry my ladies but minding your pups is giving my mate wild ideas. I do not believe I can bring them around him any longer."
"Oh…Iku, I'm sorry." Rin said hurriedly as they stopped.
"She is teasing Rin." Izumi smiled at her.
"Ah yes, and how she wounds me when she does." Riku laughed out placing the pups back into their basket. "Thankfully there will be plenty of little ones running around for me to spoil."
"Enjoy them. We will fetch them later." Izumi said tugging lightly on Rins sleeve. Making the short distance to Mitsuo and Emis they felt the heat coming from inside.
"Oh my." Rin said swiping at her brow.
"They must have to keep their hut at such a high temperature for the eggs." Izu offered with a small shrug. Rapping on the panel Emi greeted them.
"Emi, have your little ones hatched yet?" Rin asked excitedly. Walking in with her she was glad she wore a lighter kimono.
"No. Not as of yet but soon. We have taken out the dud, no sense leaving it in the nest to take up space." She replied. Rin knelt down next to the pile of blankets and sheets to see three eggs remaining.
"Three of them?" She nearly squealed out. Emi nodded her head and was surprised when Rin flung her arms around her shoulders pulling to her in a hug. "Emi, I am so happy for you and for Mitsuo! You deserve all of the happiness with your husband and more."
Emi looked to Izumi in question at the gesture to which she laughed lightly into her hand.
"Just go with it. Rin gives very good embraces." Izumi said. Hesitantly Emi wrapped her arms around Rin and gave a happy nod.
"Yes, Rin does." She agreed. "I promise to tell you as soon as they begin to hatch. It can take some time once they do."
"All births can." Loosening her arms from Emi she looked to the nest. "It is always so worth the wait."
Sesshomaru decided while he was on patrol that he wanted to take Rin to an area of their lands he had not seen the year prior. It was a small valley with many blooming trees.
He had smelled the heavy scent of flowers in the air before he had laid eyes on it. Coming to stand in the middle of it the idea to not only bring Rin but also Hotaru was a certainty.
As he neared their homestead he saw Rin and Izumi walking from the back of the home with the young siblings in their sleeping basket.
"Rin." He stopped her as she had made to go into the house.
"Yes my lord?" Her eyes falling to his. She was happy and he wanted to increase that by tenfold.
"There is somewhere I would like you and Hotaru to see." He said.
"I'll grab my carrier for her and we can be off then." She said smiling. Adjusting it onto her back Izumi helped her to put their daughter inside of it securing her in place with her blanket.
Going outside Sesshomaru extended his hand to Rin which she gladly accepted. Walking towards the woods she squeezed her husbands hand elated that they were traveling together once again.
Izumi sat on the deck watching them go as Hisashi yelped and whined as they left. Whimpering as he was to afraid to go down the steps he looked to his mother.
"Your sire and mother Rin will return before long Hisashi." She soothed as he whined again sitting down on his haunches. "You pathetic little thing, you."
Taking him into her arms she coddled him nuzzling against his snout with her nose. Happening to glance up she caught Nen looking at them with a air of melancholy hanging around him. "Is everything alright Nen?"
"Yes Izu." He came out of his reverie quickly straightening himself out to keep watch.
"Tell me, how is your litter mate Jiro? I have barely seen him as of late." Izumi wondered placing Hisashi back down.
"Jiro is well. Lord Kohaku has him on patrol close to his own side as he is still on probation." Nen answered.
"Why did the two of you want to stay here?" Izumi asked with no hesitation.
"Lady Nishi ordered two soldiers to do so, we were the ones who decided to do so." He replied.
"Rin has mentioned that you were orphaned at a young age."
"That is true. We were."
"How did you come to be at the celestial palace then?"
"After our parents were killed Jiro and myself were captured. It was then we were bought by a guardsmen and trained as soldiers." Nen replied. "We both showed promise and were acquired by Lady Nishi."
"I see. Well, as long as you both are with this pack you are free to come and go as you please." Izumi said.
Turning his head back towards her he gave a nod. "Thank you. This Nen will be sure to tell his litter mate as well."
"Good." Giving her own nod she turned her attention back to her son.
A/N: Next chapter is a sessxrin because they need some alone time. I hope everyone is still enjoying this story and everyone is ready to celebrate New Years before we wind down this year.
Happy reading.